SACRAMENTS

SACRAMENT

• It comes from the Latin word

“sacramentum’’ which means a sign
of the sacred
 Catechism about Sacraments
 CCC # 131 States that:
“ The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace ,
Instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which
divine life is dispensed to us’’.
The sacraments are:
A.Ceremonies that point to what is sacred
B.Sacraments are channel of grace.
C.They communicate the grace of God
to those who receive.
The Significance of Sacraments:
• The divine life that comes from God alone.
• God’s power
• God’s strength
• Grace makes us holy
• Grace help us follow God’s will in everyday life.
• The very life of God
CATHOLICS & SACRAMENTS
 Catholics are Sacramental People
 The Catholic mind recognizes that God is at work in humanity and all
of Creation
 Catholics believe that God reaches out to us everyday.
 Catholic believe that the life of grace begins of baptism and
 continues throughout our lives.
 Sacramental Life
It is a good life marked by love,conversion,
and service to God and one’s fellow men and
women.
The sacrament make us one with God and help
us understand and follow His plan of salvation.
The sacrament make us whole.
 The Sacrament as Sacred Symbols
In the broad sense, a sacrament is any sacred sign or
symbol that effects or makes present a spiritual, a
grace filled reality. Jesus’ words and deeds were
“sacramental” they were “real happenings that made
present the spiritual reality they expressed.
 Discovering the Connections between Christ,
the Church and the Sacraments

Each sacrament has 2 constituents:

1.A material sign that makes present a spiritual

reality and
2.The spiritual reality that is made present by
material sign.
 CHRIST: The Sacrament of God

- Christ is the fullest symbol of God, the Primordial Sacrament

of God, because He is the incarnate Son of God, God in the
flesh.
- Christ perfectly fulfills the nature of a sacrament precisely
because He is the Word of the Father made flesh. He in turn
established the Church, the visible institution(material sign) of
His mystical Body(spiritual reality that continues His work on
earth and keeps Him visibly present in signs.
CHURCH: The Fundamental Sacrament

-The Church is the fundamental Sacrament

because it is the effective material symbol of
Christ’s continued spiritual presence in the world
as the Risen Lord. St. Paul calls the Church
Christ’s body on earth.that reaches out to all to
draw them and the entire creation to the Father.
 SACRAMENTALS
- These are the objects , actions, practices, places and
the like, that help us become aware of Christ’s grace-
filled presence. Such are blessings, certain pious
actions, (kneeling, making the sign of the
cross),words(novena
prayers),objects(crucifixes,roses,scapulars)place(churc
hes,shrines) and liturgical seasons.